


Beta’ing for n00bs: A Beginner’s Guide

by crazyparakiss, Tari_Sue, teas_me



Category: Original Work
Genre: Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-17
Updated: 2013-03-17
Packaged: 2017-12-05 15:03:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/724636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazyparakiss/pseuds/crazyparakiss, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tari_Sue/pseuds/Tari_Sue, https://archiveofourown.org/users/teas_me/pseuds/teas_me
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starting Tips For Betas and Authors</p><p>Every beta/author relationship has to start somewhere and we hope this guide serves to help ease the jitters of looking for/becoming a beta.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beta’ing for n00bs: A Beginner’s Guide

**Author's Note:**

> My partners in crime (labeled here co-authors) have been wonderful and amazing with their beta jobs and suggestions for this guide. I thank them with all my heart.

Beta’ing for n00bs: A Beginner’s Guide

Starting Tips For Betas and Authors

  
First and foremost (writers):  
  
Finding a beta can be difficult, and can be extremely overwhelming. People tend to forget that writing, for many, is a very intimate and personal hobby. It _is_ terrifying to willingly offer up something so personal to you for critique–especially if you don’t know the person critiquing your work.  
  
There are many beta comms all over livejournal (where I hang most, so I won’t lead you astray by naming other places) and there are quite a few specific to different fandoms, but chances are the first beta you get won’t be the best (awesome luck if the first one is your beta soulmate). Usually, they leave their information in a comment and you are so excited you send the fic off right away.  
  
That’s a mistake we’ve all made at least once (I hope so, anyways, or once again I am the awkward kid who just dives in without questioning if I am heading into waters hiding tons of jagged rocks).  
  
 **Get. To. Know. Them.**  
  
They offered up their services so now it is time for some quid pro quo, Clarice. Without communication shit tends to hit the fan. Most people are not mind readers and on the off chance you find one, reading minds over the internet has got to be extremely difficult even for the mega mind readers of the universe.  
  
New to a fandom?  
New to writing?  
New to the English language?  
Have a specific writing style that grammar gurus will freak about? Example(s): I like fragmented sentences. I use epithets (i.e. the blond/the fiery redheaded sex kitten/etc.).  
Diverge from canon, a lot?  
Need help with canon?  
Write extreme AU/Mpreg/Squicks/Kinks/etc.?  
Like to ask a lot of questions?  
Require help with Americanisms/Britpicking/etc.?  
Do you use Word/Gdocs/Scrivner?  
Anything you can think of, seriously:  
  
TELL. THEM.  
  
It doesn’t matter if it is a small detail you think might be insignificant, i.e. “Hey, I know I’m balls with commas,” (this is me, by the way, HORRIBLE WITH COMMAS). Tell them. Chances are if you tell your beta to keep an eye out for your comma mistakes they are more likely to catch them because they are actively searching for comma errors.  
  
Also, if you are very sensitive tell them you don’t want brutally honest. If they have an issue with not being able to tear you a new one, well then, honestly, you don’t need them for a beta.  
  
If you want to improve your writing and are good with brutal, let them know (be warned, people take that very seriously and it can come off as extremely rude/ugly. Not something I’d suggest for a green fan author).  
  
If you are just here for the fun and just want to make sure your fic is okay, and you don’t want an anal retentive beta TELL THEM. Chances are, if they are super selective betas and anal retentive they will let you know they won’t be the best beta for you.    
  
  
So the emails are exchanged? Right? Your beta has an idea of what you want from them (canon facts, spelling, punctuation, feels, plot-holes, etc.) and they are cool with it and you have nothing that might squick them? You’ve given it a quick read through and corrected what you’ve spotted (some betas do a error to page ratio and will refuse to beta for someone if the error to page ratio is high. Personally, I think that’s pretty intense and pretentious, but to each their own, right?)?  
  
Now you send the fic!  
  
Then the waiting. Yes, waiting can be the hardest part. Some betas are speedy quick, others not so much. Most will tell you if they need a bit of time to read over it (and really it’s one of the things you should ask about--turnaround time). If they do not tell you how long it will take and the fic is fairly average in length, shoot them an email asking because sometimes (I’ve totally done this, I must admit, and I suck as a human being; seriously, I always feel bad when I finally realize) they forget you and your fic. I have the world’s worst memory and I get about a bazillion emails a day in my fandom email box so it’s not hard to lose a fic. I’m a bit more organized now, but even still I forget and I always tell people “bug me, bug me a lot so I don’t forget you."  But there are people who do not want to be bugged about reading your fic every single day. So, I usually email after a couple days if I haven’t heard anything and the fic is short. If it’s long I’ll email after two weeks.  
  
So you get your fic back. Usually, there are three ways this could go, and I’m going to be honest here, so don’t get discouraged:  
  
1\. Most likely, it’s riddled with red and suggestions that are not always nicely worded. You feel like you’re going to give up writing forever because this was harder than you thought and OMG people think your fic is mediocre at best. Dude, DEEP BREATH, okay? Now, exhale! See? All better! Look at the comments. Most betas leave comments (try to get one that leaves detailed comments, “because I said so” doesn’t help you improve writing/grammar/whatever). Telling you why something doesn’t work helps you a) write better or b) know not to use a particular beta again because you looked that shit up and found out they have no clue what they are talking about. Now, first, make sure what they are saying is actual constructive criticism. Constructive criticism is not meant to be spiteful, sometimes it can seem strongly worded but people will try to find the good as well as the bad in your work. Everyone has redeeming qualities in their writing (the naysayers can kiss my ass for thinking I’m too nice and optimistic, but newsflash not everyone is born a great writer – it’s hard work). If a beta is being critical and seems more opinionated than objective then my advice to you is to find a person who can read a story objectively and not give biased opinions. Also, if someone ever tells you you are better off never writing again: Do. Not. Listen. If you let them knock you down for good then you’ve let a bully win–this isn’t their playground, it belongs to everyone and if you want to play in it then by God get your ass over here and play. No one is justified in being a dick to you; not now, not ever.  
  
2\. There are a few mark-ups and suggestions and they thought the story wasn’t bad, but that it can definitely use some improving. Not the end of the world, yeah? Good!  
  
3\. They love it right away and there are very few errors and the fic is the work of legend they say--it leaves them in a puddle of goo! It happens, sometimes, but not always. When it does: BASK IN IT ;)  
  
Always remember: you are still the author of your story. If there are things corrected that you do not agree with, talk to your beta. Take the moment to ask why and listen when they explain--if you don’t want to change what they’ve pointed out then don’t. At the end of the day it IS your story. As Sue told me once, “just because someone is calling themself a beta doesn't mean their word is law,” and I stand by this belief as well. You can disagree; no two people are going to agree on everything. It’s not the end of the world if you and your beta don’t see eye to eye on every single detail.  
  
  
  The important second (Betas):  
  
Being a beta is a huge responsibility. The thing to remember is that people are relying on you to help them grow. When you beta you will help an author:  
  
Plot. And it might not be in depth, but plotting can be as simple as bouncing ideas, curbing feels when the story becomes too big and loses the main idea of the plot, or cheerleading. A simple "You can do it!" can go a long way.  
  
You will help cure them of bad habits. What is considered a bad habit varies for each writer-beta pair. Some authors stick to their guns when it comes to creative license; as a beta you will learn to pick your battles (remember at the end of the day it IS their story).  
  
Teach authors to better handle constructive criticism. We are all green at one point or another. Some are born with a fluency for words and others struggle with them, but I hold to the belief that none of us deserve to be here more than another. As a beta you will encounter works that you just don't like; perhaps you believe the author has a horrid writing style, the characterizations are weak, there is too much tell not enough show, or too much purple prose for your liking. Whatever the case may be, as a beta it is your responsibility to the author to deconstruct their writing in a helpful and fair manner. "I hate this so it's complete shit," is not going to cut it, ever. Some authors will hate you for it (I know there are authors who hated me after I told them what did not work or what missed the mark I know they were aiming for). Be prepared to be told that you are an uneducated bitch who knows nothing, and there could be a dramatic moment where said author bitches about you over their preferred method of webblogging. I've never had this happen (at least, I don't think I have), but I've known many betas in my time and have heard horror stories. Be prepared to be honest, and wear your tough skin when the emotional backlash comes.  
  
Now, if you have squicks or genres you will not read tell you author. Do not be afraid to say “no.” This is your time, you are doing it out of the goodness of your heart, and you aren’t getting paid. If you are drowning in other things and someone comes to you begging, you CAN turn them away.  
  
When you offer to beta for someone and you’ve never worked with them before, do not feel hesitant about sending them an email. Tell them about yourself: strengths, weaknesses, turn around time, squicks, and anything else you can think of. Authors are not the only ones responsible for asking/giving details. The door of communication is one that swings both ways.  
  
While creative licence does give an author the right to ignore beta suggestions, you, the beta has the right to walk away from an author. If the author takes none of your suggestions, slams you for your work, and basically wastes your time, you can walk away. This is something you do because you want to help a person grow, if you feel you are being taken advantage of then speak up and cut your losses.  
  
  
Finally for both Authors and Betas:  
  
Do not be afraid to look for/suggest having more than one beta. Betas are human and make mistakes, just like authors. It is always a good idea to have multiple sets of eyes with different areas of strength giving a work a good read through.  
  
Also never be afraid to admit when you are wrong or admit that something is not your area of strength (I often tell authors I am not a reliable authority on the English language and its rules. I am good with plotholes/tense/character development/curbing redundancy/telling an author what I feel when reading their work; if you want SPaG I am the last person I’d suggest for the job). Never be afraid to brush up on your language of choice’s rules. It’s a good idea to acquaint yourself with rules so you can break them in a way that is profound and meaningful.  
  
Need some guides for grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.?  
  
Faithwood put this together and it is crazy helpful as a writer and as a beta:  
  
<https://sites.google.com/site/faith2wood/Home/essay1> A (Beginner’s) Guide to Fanfiction  
  
I am not the authority on the matter of beta’ing, this is mostly just a guide to help you ease into becoming a beta/finding a beta. Kiss’s word is not law; these are mostly lessons learned through trial and error, and I hoped they might be helpful for those new to fandom. :)  


End file.
